Titanic AU
by hunntea
Summary: Levi is rich, Petra is not. They come from different worlds, but always manage to meet on the lower dock. Titanic AU.
1. Chapter 1

**EDITED 1/27/2016**

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The first time Levi sees her, she is on the lower deck. It was the brightness of her hair that caught his attention. He thinks to himself that the way it shines it unnatural, but it works for her.

His time looking is cut short when her companion, some girl he can't bother to remember, whispers something into her ear, making her look up. Their eyes meet for a second before he turns away, flicking the cigarette he had in his hand onto the floor.

The second time Petra sees him, he is talking to a tall, blond man. Or, the tall man was talking while he stared out into the sea. She thinks to herself that he looks bored, like he would rather not be on something as magnificent as The Ship of Dreams, something as breathtaking as the Titanic.

She turns to Nanaba, the friend who was with her the first time she saw the short man. "Is that him?" she points.

"Yes, ma'am it sure is," Nanaba responds, a smile forming on her lips. "Did you wanna do something about his staring?"

Petra turns to her blonde companion. "I want to get his attention."

Her friend nods in approval, but then offers her some advice. "Don't make a scene, though. The wealthy are different. Hell, they might even be kind of rude."

Turning away from her friends and back at the short, raven-haired man, she begins to examine him a little more. To her, he certainly looked like the type to be rude, but something inside her was telling her otherwise.

"Wish me luck, then."

He was close enough to the stairs that led down to the lower deck, she noticed. Her lips curled into a tiny smirk; she knew a few ways to get his attention in a subtle way.

She pushed herself off the railing she had been leaning against, gesturing to her friend to stay there since she would be right back.

Straightening herself (because she wanted to look at least a _little_ decent when she reached the upper deck), she began to make her way up stairs.

"Oi, Miss," a voice called out. She had only a few more steps to go before being on the upper deck. Her hand were holding onto the rail as she turned to face the person who had called her. A young crew man with light hair stared at her. She gave him a bright smile.

"Yes, Sir?"

The crew man took in her attire: a faded blue dress, worn out gloves (by worn-out he meant slightly dirty, not the pristine white they should have been) and boots, certainly not a lady that belonged on the upper deck. Naturally, it was his duty to stop her.

He starts to clear his throat, "I am afraid you are not permitted to go up there, Miss." Petra could tell he was uncomfortable. He didn't want to embarrass her, and he probably had never embarrassed a woman his entire life. _What a sweet boy_ she was thought.

"Well, Mr…?" She quirks an eyebrow, her smile fading slowly to let her question hang on until he gave her his name.

"Jean Kirstein," he finishes off for her.

Her smile came back upon hearing his name. She figured if she kept her charm up, she would eventually complete her mission. "Mr. Kirstein, I have something that I must get back, and I am afraid that it is atop there." Her dainty, gloved finger points up toward the deck, her head also turning the direction of where she was pointing. She took note that the man was still there, which was good for her. He was still staring out into the ocean, ignoring whoever he was with.

"Miss?" she hears again, and her head whips back to Mr. Kirstein. "What did you need to retrieve, if I may ask? I can get it for you."

"Oh, uhm…," she wasn't prepared for anyone asking her questions. She thought this would be quick. "I have to…," she trails off again, racking her brain for something to say. An idea struck. She slips off her right hand glove and throws it over her head, aiming it so it was as near to the man as it could get with her own aim. "I simply need to retrieve my glove," she tells him, her smile growing even wider.

Jean Kirstein began to look a little more than confused. Did this woman think he was stupid? Blind? "You just threw your—"

"Oh my, how clumsy of me! Let me get that myself," she cuts in. She turns on her heel, about-facing, and proceeds upstairs, ignoring the calls of the crew man pleading her to stop. "I'll be right down in a minute," she says over her shoulder to reassure him.

As she gets closer to her glove, closer to him, she can't help but let a small laugh escape her lips. For a brief moment, she lets herself take in the ocean and its shining waters. The view of it was just as nice as the view from the lower deck. She notices that she is close enough now to _accidentally_ bump into him. As she went to pick up her glove, she did just that.

Her shoulder lightly bumps into his back; she walks off right after.

He feels this and turns his head to look over his shoulder and eye whoever had just touched him. Instead of a face, he sees the figure of the redheaded woman, the one that caught his attention before, walking downstairs.

"Tch, no apology?" he mutters to himself.

"What was that, Mr. Ackerman?" the man beside him asks.

"Nothing. Continue with your story, Erwin."

Dinner, Levi thinks, among his companions is quite boring. At first it was exciting, but over the years of earning money, watching others around him go bankrupt, and meeting "new money" that most people didn't seem to approve of for the first few months, he finds it bland. Bland like the food he was more or less eating. But he did ask for light seasoning. He doesn't know why, though. He _needs_ some flavor in his food. Being on this ship was probably getting to him. At least the wine they served wasn't shitty.

"Thank goodness the silverware is clean," he mumbles to himself. No one hears him, but that isn't usual since he didn't want anyone to hear him anyway.

The ones surrounding him right now are talking about how amazing the ship is. He could say he agrees, though there are many faults, but he would rather not engage in the conversation at the moment.

It takes him a while to decide if he wants to dismiss himself and have a smoke outside. He ends up going, brushing off the pleas of the others telling him to stay and enjoy their company.

It's cold. Maybe he should've grabbed his thicker coat, but his room is too far and his cigarette makes the outside feel a little less chilly.

He looks down towards the ocean, then his eyes sweep the lower deck.

The woman is there again, wearing the same clothing as the last time. He takes notice that it is the _exactly_ the same thing because she has no coat around her. _It's fucking below zero out here._ He also takes notice that her hair is still shining, even when the sun is down. The moonlight could be blamed for that.

He finds himself going downstairs heading towards her, and suddenly he feels rude for smoking so he throws his almost finished cigarette overboard.

Her back is facing him and though he is not close to her she speaks.

"I can smell you, you know."

Levi stops walking and clears his throat. Turning his head slightly to the side, he inhales and exhales a few times, trying to get rid of the smell.

Her whole body turns around to face him, using the rail as a support to lean on.

This made him nervous. Is she stupid? She could fall of the rail and into the ocean.

A part of him wants to step closer and pull her away from the edge, but another part of him tells him to stay where he is standing.

"You're going to fall."

She raises both eyebrows at him, a sly, amusing smile forming on her features.

"I am not," she replies and leans further back, tilting her head even further out.

If she's trying to be funny, he doesn't laugh. Instead he takes a step closer, just in case he needs to grab her if she does fall. But after his step she straightens herself and steps away from the rail. He didn't know he was holding his breath until he let out a sigh of relief.

She's looking at him and he can't help but see that her eyes are a golden amber, the color almost as bright as her hair.

"I caught you staring at me," she tells him. "Isn't that rude for a gentleman to do?"

"You bumped into me without an apology. Isn't that rude?" he says back. He thinks that she must be a little daft because she laughs at that. He was sure what he said wasn't that funny. But, he would be lying if he said that that wasn't the cutest thing he had heard since being on this ship; and cute wasn't a word he often used.

The wind picked up then, and the temperature was noticeably dropping. What was also noticeable, at least to him, was the silence after her laugh, like she was waiting for him to speak. They were just staring at each other now. She was smiling at him while he was still standing there.

He figures it was his turn to change the subject.

"It's cold."

"Why yes, Sir, it is. That's what usually happens when the sun sets and the moon rises."

He could tell she was teasing him. He could also tell she was quite brave because who would ever speak to a stranger that way? Who would speak to a man of his status that way? Especially someone like her. He found it amusing and felt a smirk tugging at the corner of his lip, but he didn't let it break his own straight face.

"You aren't wearing anything to keep you warm." _Yes, Levi, state the obvious._

"Neither are you," she retorts, stepping towards him. It takes him a moment to realize that she was walking past him, not to him.

His eyes follow her and his body turns to face her walking away from him. He opens his mouth because he wants to say something else, but he closes it when she turns around and brings her hand out for him to shake.

"I'm Petra."

Instead of shaking her hand, he takes it in his own and turns it over, bringing it to his lips and kisses her knuckles.

"Levi."

He doesn't know why he offered her his first name or why she bothered to give him her own name, but while she is walking away he decides in his mind that he wants to see her again.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys, chapter 2 is finally here! Thanks for the reviews and the favorites :) it means a lot! hopefully you guys enjoy this one!_

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Petra breathes, and she tries to remember the last time she has smelled air so fresh. She tries to remember the last time she heard the bird's callings, the last time she heard the rush of the seas, and the last time she saw the sky so clear with the sun shining bright, light reflecting the surface of the ocean.

"The air is so fresh," she tells Nanaba, keeping her eyes looking forward instead of turning to look at her blonde friend.

She feels her blonde-haired friend put her hand on top of hers and gives it a squeeze. "The sight isn't bad either," she responds.

The strawberry blonde takes a moment to look away from the ocean to face Nanaba, and she gives her a toothy smile. "Once we get off this ship, you and me will be rich!" Petra exclaims, throwing her hands up in the process then bringing them down to clasp at Nanaba's shoulders, giving the other woman a light shake.

Of course, they had made plans before boarding this ship that the moment they landed, they would run to the nearest bank to start a loan for a toy store they were hoping to build up. Nanaba's late husband, Mike, had taught her the art of carving wooden blocks into various shapes, animals, and other cute figurines. It was Petra who said she would handle the business part, while simultaneously learning how to carve as well from Nanaba.

The thought of the business made Nanaba's eyes shimmer, and for a moment Petra regretted mentioning anything about their plans because it could have brought back unwanted memories of her dear Mike. But a sheepish grin broke out onto the blonde woman's face. Taking Petra's hands into her own, Nanaba twirls them both and lets out a big laugh. "I know, and I'm so excited that I get to start being stinkin' rich with you!"

Petra halts them, stopping using the heels of her boots and regains her balance while Nanaba tries regaining hers as well. Both women couldn't help but giggle. They were acting like children after all.

"It's getting late," Nanaba points out, gesturing towards the setting sun. "Maybe we should start heading inside."

Petra shrugs, and doesn't give a verbal response. "Petra," Nanaba says in mock annoyance, all the while trying to hide her smile, "are you gonna stay out again? It's been a day since you ran into that man."

"I am most certainly not waiting for him," Petra tells her friend, but she feels her face betray her as pink creeps up in her cheeks. "I just like the weather is all," she offers as an excuse.

Nanaba's lips purse together but her smile never leaves her eyes. "I'll meet you in the room then?" Petra nods, and Nanaba about-faces to walk inside. "Not too late!" She calls out.

The low sun hits the window, and the light directly hits the spot that Levi had decided to sit. With the sun hitting him, his scowl deepens. He didn't have a reason to look disgusted, but just the fact that the sun had decided to intervene during his time of relaxation irked him.

"Are you alright, Mr. Ackerman?" Armin asks, leaning forward from his seat as if it would help Levi's discomfort.

"I'm fine," Levi deadpans, and he swats the air in front of his face in hopes of shooing the sun away from his face. "You were saying?"

Armin leans back into his chair, smiling all the while because he was happy to have a conversation with someone who didn't want to talk about themselves at all times. Levi was like that, always there to listen but never giving much information in return. Unless someone genuinely cared to ask.

Armin lets his fingers tap against his knee, as if pressing the keys on a grand piano. "My grandfather is waiting for me," he tells Levi. "Once we're back on land, he said he would be able to teach me just a bit more."

Levi quirks an eyebrow at him. "I've heard you play. You already sound so well trained," he tells the younger boy. Though his tone doesn't make it sound like a compliment, it is. And Armin lets himself feel pride.

"That's very kind of you to say, but I still have much to learn," he replies laughing nervously, his hand finding the back of his neck. He smiles bashfully.

Levi reaches for his cup of tea and Armin takes it as an opportunity to ask about him. "What are you travelling for, if I may ask?"

"I'm Erwin Smith's business partner," he says after setting his cup down once again. He goes silent for a moment and closes his eyes, only to open them again to face the bright-eyed boy in front of him. "Cars."

"Cars?"

"Yes, we tend to focus on what can make automobiles better, faster, safer," he answers, and Armin nods.

"I've never driven a car before," Armin adds in, though the way it came across sounded more like an afterthought.

Levi looks back out the window and picks up his cup once again to take a sip. He notices that he no longer feels warm from the sun's rays hitting his body. The sun was setting now, making clouds of various colors but ultimately purpling the sky. He thinks to himself that he has never noticed how quickly night falls when one is overseas.

The distant crashing of the waves could be heard from where Petra was standing. She loved it. She loved the sound of the ocean and she loved the smell of it. And, even though it bothered and scared her to some degree, she loved how deep the waters looked once the sun had set. Dark navy blue if not black, with only the moonlight and the little bit of lighting from the boat hitting its surface to cut through the dark color.

Her hands held on to the railing and she allowed herself to step onto the first rail from the floor. Petra lets her body tip slightly, feeling her short hair tickle her cheeks. From an outsiders' point of view it would have looked like she was contemplating jumping in to swim.

The night air wasn't so pleasant on her as it had been the previous nights. The wind was hitting her skin, and she could feel it through her thin clothes. She decides that it would be better to stray away from the edge for now, her shaking was getting the better of her and she felt if she shook anymore she would really fall off.

She turns around, half hoping to see a certain black-haired man with a cigarette. But she doesn't, and she lets out a small, frustrated sigh as she makes her way towards the doors to the inside of the ship.

But before she her hand touches the handle, she catches a whiff of tobacco and her lips form a smirk. She looks up towards the direction of the stairs and tilts her head just a little more to catch a glimpse of Levi smoking once again and staring off into the night sky.

Petra adjusts herself to be seen by him and she starts waving her hands above her head. "Hey!"

His head tilts down to look at her and though he does not let it show, he feels pleased to see her. He nods towards her in acknowledgement and pushes himself off the railings he was leaning against to walk downstairs to accompany her.

"It's still freezing out," he tells her as he reaches the bottom, reminding her of the conversation they first had when they met in the same area before.

"I'll live," she replies. Her actions deceive her comment as she brings her hands up to her mouth to blow warm air on them in an attempt to keep from freezing. She sits down on the nearest bench and scoots over to leave room, patting her hand on the space next to her.

Levi clicks his tongue. "Here." He removes his jacket to give to Petra, but she shakes her head.

"You would be cold."

He shrugs, sits down next to her, and tosses the jacket to her. Petra catches it and hastily puts it on, relishing in the warmth it immediately provided. "Thank you," she murmurs, burying her head into her sleeved hands.

"Don't mention it." His hands fall into his pockets. With the loss of his jacket, he felt the chill that Petra must have endured. Silently, he thanks himself for even thinking of giving her his jacket. "Don't you own any other clothing?"

The question comes out almost impolitely, but he meant nothing by it. He was simply wondering why she had been wearing the exact same thing he had seen her in last time. And in response, she nods her head once. "I brought three dresses," she reports in a matter-of-fact way. The raven-haired man's nose wrinkles. Three?

"Keep my jacket." It sounds more like an order than an offer, and this draws a laugh from Petra's lips. He feels his insides bubble, with warmth he doesn't know, but the chill of the night air doesn't affect him as much anymore.

She snakes her arms out of the jacket sleeve and grabs hold of the lapels in the front of the jacket. Her fingers tighten around the lapels and she brings the jacket closer to her body, trapping the heat she had accumulated inside. "I wasn't planning on giving it back to you, Mr. Levi."

He hums in reply.

For a while, they don't talk. Instead, they listen to the sounds of the waves crashing the ship and the winds.

He speaks after a few moments of silence. "I don't need it."

His voice doesn't waver, but his body language catches Petra's eyes. His voice doesn't shake and neither do his breathes. But his hands come up to grasp at his arms, and he hugs himself slightly while his hands work themselves up and down his arms to cause friction.

"You might need it tonight." Before she can even get a chance to remove his jacket, a gentle hand lands on her shoulder.

"I have more jackets," he says simply before retrieving his hand and coming back to his previous position. Petra stops her previous actions and decides to tighten the jacket around herself. The bottom half of her face was now being covered.

A grin makes its way to her lips, hidden by Levi's jacket. "My, my," she begins her teasing, "Mr. Levi, how many of these do you own?"

His lips pursed. It was more to keep his own grin from forming. "More than the amount of dresses you packed for this trip, Miss Petra." He turns his head to look at her eyes since they were the only thing of her face he could see. They slanted a little, and he could tell it was because she enjoyed his little retort.

And for a few more moments they sit there next to each other. Silence left them as they, mostly Petra, begin to talk about their life before getting on the boat, the reason why they boarded, and what their plans were for the future.


End file.
